Girdle



July 15 1924.

L. G. ROSENBAUM GIRDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29 ATTORNEYS July 151924.

| G. ROSENBAUM GIRDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29 1923 a INVENTOR1077754f/i05i/Y6MM7' ATTORNEYS Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES LOTTIE G. ROSENBAUM, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

GIRDLE.

Application filed June 29, 1923. Serial No. 648,429.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOTTIE G. ROSEN- BAUM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at N w Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGirdles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to elastic girdles which are commonly worn bywomen in place of corsets. In such girdles stiffening strips or staysare ordinarily provided at various points to prevent the elastic webbingfrom curling up and to give some support to the body. These stripsextend substantially in a vertical direction above and below thewaistline of the garment. In the region which covers the back of thewearer there are usually at least two of these stays arranged normallyapproximately parallel and a slight distance apart. When the garment isapplied to the body of the wearer, the horizontal tension upon theelastic web varies from a minimum at the waistline to a maximum at theupper and lower edges of the girdle. For this reason the two parallelstays, which are secured flatwi'se to the surface of the garment at theback, are separated from each other to various extents, the upper andlower ends being drawn apart to a greater extent than the intermediateportions of the stays. Since these stays are flat and comparativelywide, they will not flex in the direction of their width and,consequently, to yield to the variable strains of thegarment, they areforced to twist, throwing their edges inward and outward instead ofremaining flat as they are intended to do. This altering-of the positionof the stays makes the garment uncomfortable to wear because the edgesof the stays out into the flesh of the wearer. Furthermore the edgeswhich are presented outward cause unsightly ridges to appear on theouter garments, hasten the wear of the girdle and the outer garment anddestroy the flat effect which the girdle is supposed to aflord at theback.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved elastic girdle,stiffened vertically in the section adapted to cover the back of thewearer, which will at all times be en'- tirely comfortable to thewearer, which will not be subject to injury by excessive stretching ofthe stiffened section; in which the stiflening strips or stays will beeffectively prevented from twisting; and which will be simple andrelatively inexpensive. Other objects and advantages will be apparentfrom the following description of an embodiment of the invention, andthe novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter inclaim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a girdle constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of a portion of the same taken substantiallyalong the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a slightly m-odified construction of a girdleembodying the principle of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of a portion of the same taken substantiallyalong the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of a further modified girdle, alsoembodying the principle of the invention;

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the girdle illustratedcomprises a strip 1 of suitable elastic fabric having the usual coveredand stiflened end sections 2 and 3 which are to be connected togetherwhen the girdle is applied to the body of the wearer. The section of thegirdle which is adapted to cover the back of the wearer, is providedwith a strip of inelastic fabric 4 such as coutil which is stitchedalong its edges thereto so as to create an inelastic zone in the portioncovering the back of the wearer. Flexible stiffening strips, stays orbones 5 such as are commonly employed in corsets or girdles may beconfined between the inelastic fabric 4 and the elastic strip 1 so as toextend longitudinally of the corset in the inelastic zone, thestiffening strips or stays 5 being held against displacement bystitching running along the sides of the strips or stays 5 and throughthe fabrics 1 and 4. The fabric 4 and the strips 5 extend longitudinallyof the girdle on both sides of the waistencircling section 7, and may ormay not extend entirely to the upper and lower edges of the girdle.

When a girdle constructed in this manner is applied to the body of thewearer, the edges 2 and 3 are connected together by the usual or anyother suitable fastening devices 8, with the inelastic zone covering theback of the wearer. The strips or-stays 5 flex inwardly and flatten oflthe back of the wearer so as to present a smooth surface for thereception of the outer garments. The stretching of the girdle will bethe least at the waist line and will increase in various extents aboveand below the'waist line, so that if the inelastic zone were notprovided, the ends of the strips would be separated to a greater extentthan the interme diate portions of the strips at the waist line. \Viththe inelastic material stitchedto the elastic fabric so as to create theinelastic zone between or extending over the outer stiifening strips,the elastic fabric will stretch only in the sections on each side of theinelastic zone. and consequently the stiifening strips will flexnormally and will not be twisted by separation of the ends to greaterextents than the intermediate portions. There will therefore be notendency for the strips to present ridges bearing upon ,he body of thewearer or showing as ridges through the outer garments of the wearer.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and l the elastic band 9forming the body of the girdle is similar to the band 1 of theembodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 and carries the usual or anysuitable fastening means 8 by which the bound edges of the band may besecured together to encircle the body of the wearer. The stiifeningstrips 10 in the section adapted to cover the back of the wearer areeach enclosed in a suitable covering 1l which is secured by stitching 12to the elastic strip 9 so as to extend longitudinally of the girdle onopposite sides of the waist-encircling section 13. A strip ll ofinelastic materialsuch as coutil. is applied over the stifl'ening strips10 and is secured by stitching 15 to the elastic band 9 on 0ppositesides of the portion stiffened by the flexible strips 10.

\Vhen a girdle constructed as shown in Figures 3 and 4: is applied tothe body of a wearer. the inelastic strip 1- which is secured to theelastic band 9 will prevent stretching of the elastic fabric 9 beneathit. and will thus create an inelastic zone in the section adapted tocover the back of the wearer. in which the stifi'ening strips 10 areplaced. Since the section of the elastic band 9 which is reinforced bythe stiffening strips cannot stretch. the stifi'ening strips cannot betwisted into an edgewise position by the unequal stretching of thefabric strip 9 on opposite sides of the waistline, and therefore thegirdle will always fit smoothly and comfortably across the back of thewearer. The continuous strip l-l which is stitched only at its edges,presents a neat appearance and conceals the stiffening strips.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5. a pair of stiffening strips 16 aresecured in the usual manner to the elastic band 17 forming the body ofthe girdle. and the strips 16 extend in opposite directions beyond thewaist encircling section 18. A strip 19 of inelastic fabric or othersuitable mate'rial is secured to the elastic band I? be tween thestiifening strips 16 by means of the stitching 20 which secures thestrips 16 to the elastic band 17. The stiifening strips 16 will thus beheld against separation uniformly along the major portion of their edgesand on opposite sides of the waist line. and consequently the section ofthe elastic band between the strips cannot stretch. This eflectivelyprevents twisting of the stiii'ening strips and causes the girdle to litsmoothly across the back of the wearer. This construction is exceedinglysimple and inexpensive.

It will be ob ious that various changes in the details and arrangementsof parts here in described and illustrated for the purpose of explainingthe nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the artwithin the principle and scope of the in.- vention as expressed in theappended. claim.

I claim:

A girdle comprising a body encircling band the rear portion of which iselastic. said rear portion having a zone stiffened by rertical stripsand an inelastic fabric substantially coextensive with said zone forpreventing twisting of the strips during the stretching of the band.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

